Broken Arrow
by Iruka Lover
Summary: Clint comes home from a mission; exhausted, tired, and emotionally unstable. Natasha is there waiting for him. 1 month after New York. HINTED one-sided(?) StevexClint and FRIENDSHIP NatashaxClint. Angst galore. R and R please! I hope you love it! :3


**A/N: **HI GUYS! So… I'm sorry for a million things. Most primarily why right now, is because I still feel guilty over the wait for chapter 13… But hey, school's over so I should get 14 out sometime soon. I hope. Now then, I'm aware this is kind of weird- Avengers isn't really my fandom, but I have this story just bubbling around in my head and it NEEDS to be shared and it will be an AMAZING gift to my lovely-dearest: Oracle Copper Lee (I don't think you can find her if you even searched.) Either/or, this is for you, fully, and whole-heartedly my dear. :3 Oh, and let's make this clear: this is a one-shot unless I WANT to write more to it, and it is a FRIENDSHIP FIC! (This one's for you Lovely. :P)

**Disclaimers: **I. DON'T. OWN. AVENGERS, HAWKEYE, CLINT, NATASHA, OR ANYTHING! It's so tragic…

**Picture Disclaimer: **_THIS IMAGE IS NOT MINE! I SIMPLY FOUND IT ON GOOGLE AND LOVED IT! If this offends or angers the creator of this picture, I FULLY apologize. I have not found who created this picture, so credits to the author(s?) for making an amazing picture. I apologize if this angers you._

_**Warnings: **__Hinted one-sided(?) StevexClint (M/M), extreme likelihood to get depressed, unbetaed. x-x_

* * *

Natasha was sitting on the edge of Clint's bed waiting for the man to appear from his shower. She idly looked around the room, examining every personal effect of the man's room. The woman was pleased and allowed a gentle smile to cross her features when she saw a picture of herself and the other assassin. She found that it took only twenty minutes to look around –she wasn't surprised as there were very little objects that were 'personal'– which, as he was Clint means he would usually be done with his shower fifteen minutes ago. She knew he was tired and filthy but had no clue just how tired. Clearly such a long shower for the archer meant his mind was heavily pre-occupied.

"Clint? You doing okay?"

"Yeah," he called back through the bathroom door. He knew he was in there a long time, but the fact Natasha called for him caused him to raise a brow in curiosity. With that in mind, he quickly got out and dried off his body except his hair. He slid on a pair of 'night pants' and went outside to greet Natasha, while toweling off stray droplets from his chest and drying his hair fully, leaving the towel around his neck.

"You took your time."

Clint only allowed a small smile to grace his features as the Widow admired her friend's toned body appreciatively, though respectfully.

"Everything okay?" she asked, but then her eyes alighted on the clear gun wound to the Archer's chest. It wasn't bleeding anymore, but it was clearly serious enough to get checked out by the medivac. It was red, and seemed almost angry.

The dirty blonde noticed his friend's eyes and how they widened immediately. He forgot about hiding that- rookie mistake.

"It's okay Nat, nothing serious. I'm walking fine am I not?"

Natasha only narrowed her eyes at the man, to which he promptly looked down at the ground, appropriately chastised.

"I didn't need the medivac… the others on the mission did far more than I."

"I told you to lay off the dangerous S.H.I.E.L.D. missions… you're part of the Avengers now."

Clint sighed, nodding. Knowing she was fully right. He knew the risk of getting compromised, yet he still went.

"We were compromised…"

The red-haired woman only let out a sigh, nodding. She knew how getting compromised went. Still, she allowed her fingers to gently trail the bullet hole, sizing up the damage herself. She noticed it was expertly tended to. A little known talent about the quiet archer.

"You are extremely lucky," she pointed out, poking just one centimeter higher, right on the heart.

Clint didn't say anything, knowing Natasha was very worried at that point. When she was done examining the wound and confirming his safety, he spoke up.

"We face death every day."

"We don't throw ourselves in it!" she said mildly harshly.

Clint looked away, hurt.

The Widow embraced him in a hard hug, knowing she crossed a line shouting about the assassin throwing himself in harm's way. They both knew he avoided that as best as was possible to his ability. They were assassins for a reason. Natasha immediately regretted hugging him tightly, easily noticing the wince of the man from his bullet wound being pressured too hard.

"Sorry…"

"It's fine."

The assassin then sat down on the edge of his bed, patting the space next to him for Natasha. Natasha took the hint and sat down next to the archer.

"What do you do… with a bow that can't shoot?"

"Clint?"

"A gun that won't fire…"

"Clint? You're scaring me… What do you mean?"

"Nat- the mission. My bow broke… I didn't have any of my knives… I was actually scared…" the man paused between each sentence. He rarely told anyone of near death experiences- had them every day, but this one weighted on his mind.

"How did your bow break? We both know that's near impossible."

"I blocked a Katana aiming for an agent's head. From the Samurai's."

That quieted Natasha. She knew how sharp a Samurai's Katana was. She looked at his eyes closely, urging him on, extremely worried about how pale Clint was.

"I saved the agent, and everyone else, really, with well-placed flash and bomb arrows. And, of course, by allowing my bow to be destroyed. I took a gun from an agent, urging them on to escape, and provided cover fire. They escaped, but I got overtaken. I was surrounded. I fought back hard, shooting several of the samurais. But they got too close. Soon I had to dodge instead of fight, and three swords at that, which could kill me immediately. I continued dodging for my life, knowing if they didn't leave me an opening soon I would die due to exhaustion. Luckily, I was able to take one down, and the others followed quickly. In that short time with the two left, I was able to use their momentum against each of them and have them do the dirty work for me. I turned around for one second, to make sure they were both dead- one wasn't. He fired the gun I just used to desperately live. It hit me. Right in the chest. I couldn't breathe- I was just thinking I'd survive, and here I am, about to die. But after the shock, I realized my heart wasn't pierced, just my body. The rib stopped it from killing, or drew it off-course. I don't know how, really. But I was alive. I immediately sat down and began getting rid of the bullet, nursing myself back to health. After I was 'fixed' I looked around at my surroundings. I saw my broken bow, my gun that couldn't fire anymore… I looked at my injury right underneath my heart and shivered. I felt myself breaking down. I kept thinking over and over of the samurai's look in his eye as he shot me. I kept looking at my injury in disbelief. I knew I should have died. I lost my bow, something that's always been with me. I was lost as to how I was alive, and I lost control of my emotions. I've never been so scared before, Nat. A big reason is because I almost lost even you. I don't know how long it was, could have been hours, or just minutes, but someone came back to check if I got left behind, how my distraction turned out. I hid my injury quickly, I of course couldn't hide the blood, but I convinced this agent it was just some cuts and scrapes. I hid the injury; I didn't want any fuss over it. I was alive. I took care of it. Everyone else was alive too, and everyone was okay. But… I let down Fury, and I almost let down you…"

"Oh my god, Clint!" Natasha hugged the archer tightly, rubbing circles in his back, and ignoring his minor noise of protest at the pressure on his wound.

"I'm so sorry about everything… You can't just shrug this off either! This clearly affected you greatly if you had to talk to me about it. You know regulation and you went against it. Clearly this means a lot more to you than you think. Are you feeling better, Clint?" the woman asked as she gently rubbed circles in the man's back.

Clint sighed, breathing in the woman's perfume. He allowed her to comfort him. Knowing she was right, resisting the instinct to fight what she said. He was so used to shrugging anything off. He knew he couldn't shrug this off, as did Nat.

"How do you know me so well?"

"How do I know you so well?" the widow laughed quietly, "the same way you know me so well."She pecked the man on his cheek.

The Hawk smiled slightly, and got up, digging through his dresser, and slid on a shirt.

"Nat?"

"Yes, Clint?"

"Have you ever- ah… _liked_ anyone?"

She rose a brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean- um… liked them enough to consider dating them?"

The widow smirked knowingly.

"Once. I got compromised though."

The archer raised a brow, surprised.

"You considered dating on a mission?"

Natasha only sent him a warning look. The agent looked down, properly chastised.

"Must've been a special guy," the agent said with a little laugh.

"Yeah… why do you ask?"

"Well-ah-… I think I like someone…"

"Oh? Do I know them?"

"Yeah."

"Remotely or closely?"

"Remotely. Though- I suppose you could say 'closely' New York happened only a month ago."

"An Avenger then?"

"Ah-… yeah."

"Who?"

"Um…" the hawk began, beginning to lightly blush.

"Nat?"

The woman only raised a brow.

"You know that I'm…" he looked down at the ground not sure if he could say it, "I'm gay." He whispered.

"Clint, I think I knew that ever since Budapest."

"Yeah- doesn't take much to deduce why I wasn't up to it, I guess…" he sighed, looking out the window hoping to spot an owl.

"So, Bruce, Tony, or maybe- Steve or Thor?"

Clint could only blush. He never knew it was so hard to admit he had feelings before, but in retrospect, as an assassin that trains to keep his emotions under control- it made sense.

"The Cap…"

Natasha chuckled to herself quietly. "I figured. He seems the most right for you. Him or Bruce."

"Bruce? How?"

"Well, you're both quiet and extremely perceptive. I feel like you two could get along great in silence, and one day start talking to each other. As for Steve, I feel like his politeness and respect in general would get you. He's truly unique compared to nowadays people."

"Yeah… he really is. I don't know what it is about him. I don't know if I should venture to find out."

"Clint, no matter what you do, there are consequences for both. How much do you like Steve?"

"More than I'd care to admit."

"Then try it. Explore more about him, find out more! I know you easily can."

The archer smiled, and chuckled lightly, "you're right- isn't it funny how two master assassins come to a loss when it comes to relationships?"

Natasha nodded slowly, tracing patterns on the man's back again.

"Clint, I believe in you. If you really like him, show the captain who you are. He'll surely notice and decide based on that. You two have been strictly on business terms for a while now, right?"

"Ah- yeah."

She let out a soft laugh. "We're a team now, Clint. Drop some of your barriers, no matter how hard it is."

"Nat, I can only try. And even that's iffy."

The woman sighed quietly. "You like him. Find out more about him. Get to know him. DATE HIM!"

The archer blushed and shyly chuckled, nodding.

"Nat?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For everything."

With that, the Hawk let a gentle smile cross his features that was meant only for Natasha. The woman returned the smile, and gently hugged the man.

"Of course."

"Sorry- if I was inconvenient."

The woman only shook her head. "You never are, Clint. You know you can talk to me at anytime."

"Ah- true."

The hawk mumbled, nodding. He then stared at his best friend and wondered something to himself. _'Have we ever said "I love you" to one another? I don't think we have… which makes sense both of us are not ones for emotion, and feelings, and all that it entails. But sometimes the interest or feeling is so strong even we can't ignore it… I should tell her. But it's so hard to say…'_

"Um- Nat. I-erm," the hawk couldn't get it out no matter how hard he tried. The woman seemed to smile and understand though.

"I love you, Clint. Don't ever forget that, and that you could come to me for anything."

The archer smiled genuinely, and kissed her gently on the cheek. He may not be able to say it, but he was able to show her it. Then, the archer yawned, still tired and exhausted from the mission. Even more-so having to re-live it and talk to Natasha about it.

"The Hawk seems to finally be ready to settle in for the night…" the red-haired woman said teasingly.

"Goodnight, Clint. Get some rest." And with that, she kissed him on the cheek, pushed him down onto his bed, and left without a word. She smiled faintly knowing he was asleep as soon as she was at the door. She sighed to herself quietly, leaning on the doorframe and watching the sometimes fragile man.

'_You almost broke, you say… meaning-'_

She shook her head, and hoped he wouldn't anytime soon, or if he did, he knew he was going to and would flee to her room. She mouthed a silent goodnight and closed the door soundlessly, walking casually back to her room.

* * *

**A/N:** Awwww! How sweet! I love Clint and Natasha's friendship so much! They just- get each other. Poor Hawkeye! I hope he gets better! Though Steve likely will make that happen. ;P Anyhowdy, that was the one-shot. I'll make this a chapter story (regrettably) if I get enough support for that, but for now- I think I'll make this a series to be updated whenever I damn well feel like it. :P

Thank you so much for reading! I love all of you so much! And I promise to get chapter 14 out within a month or two. Gotta' figure out how to proceed… ANYWAY. GOODNIGHT! I LOVE ALL OF YOU SO MUCH! R&R pweeze :3 :heart:


End file.
